TheEcomExpressStory:HowWeCutCACby36.4%forIndia'sLeadingDeliveryPartner
Lead-to-onboarding rate exceeded the initial target of 7%
In logistics, acquiring the right businesses to partner with matters as much as the speed and precision of each delivery. The Small Business Project collaborated with India's top logistics provider to improve their onboarding rate.
Challenge Unlocked: Acquiring High-Intent Leads
Ecom Express, India's premier end-to-end logistics solution provider, came to us with a challenge: get more high-quality onboardings. With a vast network of 27,000+ PIN codes covering 97% of Indian households, the company has handled more than 2 billion parcels since its inception. It is also one of the first logistics players in the country to tap into AI technology to optimise shipping routes for quick and precise deliveries.
But getting promising leads to onboard was becoming expensive.
That's when a Mumbai-based PR agency, which had previously worked with Ecom Express, pointed them in our direction. They recognised our expertise in performance marketing and referred us, knowing we love a good challenge.
So we set two clear goals:
Increase the onboarding rate to a realistic 7%.
Reduce Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) to ₹1,800 by the end of the 2023–2024 fiscal year.
Game Plan: Smart Targeting to Lower Cost
Taking on a major logistics player such as Ecom Express was a whole different ball game for us. Unlike smaller businesses with tighter budgets, we had the advantage of scale — but that also meant bigger challenges.
Their ads had wider reach, but they needed to be optimised to target high-intent leads. The objective was to lower costs, but without compromising lead quality.
We ran super-targeted lead generation campaigns and honed in on high-intent audiences, focusing on value over volume. And it paid off.
2.8% → 9.9%
Lead-to-onboarding rate
−36.4%
Overall CAC reduction
₹2,900 → ₹700
CAC on Meta
91%
ROI on lead gen ads
On Google Ads, CAC initially climbed from ₹1,800 to ₹3,600, but then fell to ₹1,300. And the Return on Investment on lead-gen ads landed at 91%, with revenue amounting to 1.9× the ad spend.
Secret Sauce: What We Actually Did
We identified and targeted high-potential audience segments, ensuring ads were directed to the most promising leads. On Meta, we tested various ad creatives across multiple formats and messaging angles, focusing on the brand's value propositions that resonated with target audiences. On Google Ads, we improved ad relevance and reduced spend by optimising bidding strategies and filtering out negative keywords.
Bottom Line
This collaboration wasn't about throwing money at ads. It was about spending smarter and scaling efficiently.